Difficult operation

Family lost their way – Nocturnal rescue operation

Night-time operation around the Spielkogel

(Bild: Bergrettung)

Night-time operation for the mountain rescue team in Hüttschlag in Salzburg! A family from Linz got lost in the snowy alpine terrain around the Spielkogel (2144 meters). At around 6 p.m. on Sunday, they made an emergency call - the start of a long and complex search operation.

The biggest problem: the telephone connection to the Upper Austrians was lost and the emergency services could no longer reach anyone. However, mountain rescuers from Hüttschlag managed to narrow down the search area after some time.

The police helicopter finally discovered a member of the family. The teenager - who had made the emergency call and had climbed up a bit in the terrain - was immediately taken on board. The other missing persons were also found in an impassable ditch. However, due to the darkness, a helicopter rescue was no longer possible.

Mountain rescuers persevered with the family in the dark
Mountain rescuers climbed up to the three completely exhausted people. "I tried to get a helicopter from a neighboring province for a rescue", says Gerhard Kremser, the district manager of the mountain rescue service in Pongau. "But only a helicopter from Reutte (Tyrol) was available later and so the mountain rescuers waited several hours with the family for this rescue."

The rescue helicopter was finally able to rescue the family.

(Bild: Bergrettung)

Finally, the crew of the RK2 (ARA air rescue, Reutte) was able to rescue the family by rope and fly them out, while the mountain rescuers descended on foot. The mission was over at around 1 am. 30 Hüttschlager mountain rescuers were deployed together with the volunteer fire department and Alpine police.

Further night-time operations for the mountain rescue team
Unfortunately, the Tyrolean helicopter crew was unable to rescue another young climber who had also gone down at this time of night in the area of the Großer and Kleiner Donnerkogel because he had to return to Tyrol on a mission. Mountain rescuers from Annaberg climbed up during the night and brought the three Czechs down to the valley unharmed after 2 am. 

What exactly had happened? Three young men from Israel and Belgium had climbed the Donnerkogel via ferrata on Sunday. They wanted to watch the sunset on the mountain, but were no longer able to descend alone due to their exhaustion, equipment and lack of tour planning. Annaberg Mountain Rescue was alerted after 9.30 p.m. on Sunday evening. The three athletes had already taken twice as long to climb up and were hooked into the steel cable at the end of the via ferrata - completely soaked and exhausted, according to Werner Quehenberger, district manager of the mountain rescue service.

Difficult operation on the Donnerkogel

(Bild: Bergrettung)

Mountain rescuers from Annaberg climbed up to the tourists and brought warm clothing, tea and other equipment. "The three men were completely exhausted, hypothermic and could no longer descend on their own, not even on the rope. They only had light shoes on and the snow was still waist-deep in places," says Quehenberger, describing the situation. "We wanted to bivouac with them on the mountain because we couldn't carry out a night-time rescue using a winch and no helicopter could land there at night. In the end, we still tried to reach the crew of the C14 (Niederöblarn, Styria), as they carry out night flights." The rescue helicopter crew of the C14 managed to take the exhausted athletes on board while hovering there under the most difficult conditions and great challenges. They were flown down to the valley. A total of 14 mountain rescuers and two alpine police officers were deployed.

"I'll spare myself any appeal to common sense and tour planning etc.", says district manager Quehenberger almost resignedly, "because obviously we don't reach those who could learn to do it that way. Others know what it means to do this via ferrata anyway."

The Zell am See mountain rescue team also had to deal with two missions for hikers who got lost in Pinzgau on Sunday.